Spring-wheel.



C. L. BLAIR & V. I. BRINKER.

SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATI"N FILED DEC. 20. 1915.

l ,1 97,254. Patented'Sept. 5, 1916.

3W CHHRLE L. {EU-HR V. I. 'FRmKER CHARLES L. BLAIR AND VICTORSPRING-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916..

Application fi1ed December 20, 1915. Serial No. 67,855.

To all whom z'tmay concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES L. BLAIR and V1oTor. I. BRINKER, citizensof the United States, residing at Vandergrift, in the county ofWestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certaih new anduseful Improvements in S13ring'\Vl1eels, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying l drawings.

This invention relates to spring wheels for automobiles and similarvehicles, of that type wherein the cushioning means is embodied in thespokes so that a solid tire tread instead of the usual pneumatic tiremay be employed.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a wheel ofthe above character having a plurality of spring spokes, each consistingof a pair of spring plates of compound longitudinal curvature, and meanswhereby the outer ends of the spokes in each pair may be quickly andsecurely fixed to the wheel felly, and the inner ends of the contiguousplates in adjacent spokes similarly secured to the wheel hub.

The invention has for another and more particular object to provide awheel, the felly and hub of which are provided with spaced dovetailshaped recesses, resilient spoke elements, and relatively heavy terminalpolygonal shaped bars for engagement in said recesses, and bolts adaptedto be fitted through said recesses between the ter minal bars and co-actwith said bars to clamp the same between the opposed side walls of therecesses.

The invention has for a further general object to produce a resilient orspring wheel of the above type which is exceedingly sim ple and durablein its construction, and in which the spokes may be very easily and.quickly removed or arranged in position and securely connected at theirends to the folly and hub of the wheel, respectively.

WVith the above and other objects in view, our invention consists in thenovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts tobe hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle wheel constructed inaccordance with the preferred embodiment of our invention, portions ofthe felly and hub being shown in section; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectiontaken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailfragmentary perspective view of one of the spoke members; Fig. i is asimilar view of one of the fastening bolts.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 designates the wood folly of thewheel upon which the usual. circumscribing metal felly band (5 isengaged and secured in any approved manner.

7 indicates a solid rubber tire which is secured upon the folly band andthis tire may be of any desired cross-sectional contiguration.

The hub 8 of the wheel is formed with an annular flange 9 on one end andthis flange is provided with a plurality of transverse channels oropenings 10. Slots or kerfs 10 extend from said openings outwardly tothe periphery of the flange 9. A similar series of equi-distantly spaceddove-tailed channels is also formed in the outer face of the wood fellyof the wheel, as indicated at 11, said latter channels being alternatelydisposed with respect to the clove-tailed channels 10 in the hub flange9.

The wheel structure is rendered elastic or resilient by means of aplurality of spring spokes, each of which consists of a pair ofresilient or spring plates 12, which are of compound longitudinalcurvature, as shown. These plates 12 are substantially equal in width tothe width of the hub flange 9 and the inner face of the wheel felly 5.At their opposite ends, each spoke plate is formed with a relativelyheavy triangular shaped enlargement or bar 13 extending across theentire width thereof. It is to be noted from reference to Fig. 1 thatthe bar 13 on the outer end of the plate 12 projects laterally from oneface of the plate while the bar 13 on the opposite or inner end projectslaterally from the other face of said plate.

In arranging the spokes in position, the

outer curved end portions of the two plates constituting each spoke areengagedupon each other, and the laterally offset bars 13 are movedlongitudinally into one of the channels or grooves 11 in the wheelfelly. Radially disposed slots or kerfs 1 1 communicatewith each of thechannels 11 which receive the bars 13. The bars 13 on the inner ends ofthe contiguous plates 12 in adjacent spokes are engaged in a similarmanner in the channels 10 in the hub flange 9, the inner ends of saidspokes fitting into the kerfs or slots 10.

V the manner above stated, the bolts 15 are 7 portion 16 which isthreaded to receive a nut inserted between the bars 13 in the channelsor openings provided in the hub and felly of the wheel. These bolts arealso of triangular shape in cross section and exert a clamping pressureagainst the opposed inclined faces of the bars 13, thus tending to forcethe same in opposite directions and into tight frictional engagementagainst the inclined side walls of the channels or openings in whichthey are fitted. Each bolt 15 is provided with a head on one end and theother end thereof has a cylindrical reduced 17 In this manner, it willbe apparent that the plates 12 of the spring wheel spokes may be easilyand securely fixed at their ends in the felly and hub of the wheel andthe possibility of their detachment in the use of the wheel obviated.Should any one of the spring plates break, however, the same may bequickly and easily removed by simply removing the bolts 15 and replacedby a new plate. I

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, manner of use and severaladvantages of our inventionwill be clearly and fully understood.

While we have illustrated in the drawing a particular shape orconfiguration of the spring plates constituting the wheel spokes, it ismanifest that our improved fastening or securing means may be utilizedin connection with spoke plates of various other forms. The strain orpull of the plates in the action of the wheel can have no looseningeffect upon the fastening connections as 7 Copies of this patent may beobtained for the relatively heavy reinforcingterminal bars 13 on thespring plates are tightly clamped in place by the triangular-shapedbolts.

While we have shown and described the preferred form and construction ofthe several detailed features of the device, it is to be understood thatthe same is susceptible of considerable modification and we thereforereserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes as may befairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described this invention, what we claim is A spring wheelincluding a wheel hub and a felly, each provided with spacedtransversely extending dovetailed channels and kerfs leading thereto,spring spoke plates having triangular-shaped terminal enlargementsprojecting from the relatively opposite sides of the plates, theenlargements of the contiguous spoke plates being adapted to be fittedinto the channels in the wheel hub and felly, and the contiguousportions of the spoke plates engaging in the kerfs, andtriangular-shaped bolts adapted to be fitted through said channelsbetween the enlarged terminals of the plates to exert a clamping actionupon the latter to force the same into frictional binding engagementagainst the side walls of the channels.

In testimony whereof we hereunto allix our signatures in the presence oftwo witnesses.

CHARLES L. BLAIR.

V VICTOR I. BRINKER.

Witnesses GEORGE ROBERT BENJAMIN, SYLVESTER M. MARSHALL.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

